Indonesia Local culture Trips

Exotic Java and Bali trip was an excellent trip, a nice mix of busy cities and quiet villages as well as traditional culture, wildlife and downtime. Hadi is an excellent guide with deep understanding and care for your travelling experiences and desire to avoid the crowds. He has built strong relationships with hotel, restaurant staff and local guides which makes the experience of travelling even better.

A lovely holiday with a good variety of activities. We were able to explore the different cultures of Java and Bali - the crafts, the history, the wildlife, the countryside and the food. The hotel accomodation was good, and the food was plentiful and good value. (Cheaper than I expected) I particularly enjoyed the visit to Mount Bromo volcano, the tour of Kalibaru spice plantation and the Balinese dancing at Ubud. Our tour leader, Ihsan, was excellent. He was efficient, helpful, enthusiastic and also friendly and chatty.

🌟 5/5 – Life-changing experience! 🌟
The Intro Epic Indonesia 19-day tour completely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we landed, everything was incredibly well-organised. The tour struck the perfect balance between adventure, culture, and relaxation. We explored stunning places like Bali, the Gili Islands, Lombok, and Kuta plus more—each spot offered something unique. Snorkeling with turtles, hiking volcanos, chasing waterfalls, and watching sunrises from breathtaking viewpoints were just some of the unforgettable highlights. What made this trip even more special was the group dynamic and our amazing group leader Zio, who was supportive, knowledgeable, and genuinely fun and caring. I cannot put into words how genuinely helpful Zio was. He went above and beyond to ensure we were all happy, safe and comfortable at all times. It felt like traveling with friends from day one. Accommodation was better than expected—clean, comfortable, and always in great locations. The included activities and local experiences gave us a real insight into Indonesian culture and daily life. If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime trip that combines adventure, culture, and new friendships, this is it. I came home with amazing memories, a full camera roll, and a new travel family. I Highly recommend it to anyone considering group travel in Indonesia.

Nice contrast between Java (with a Muslim majority) and Bali (Hindu), which markedly shapes their character. Not sure i appreciated 4 or 5 muezzins calling me to prayer at 4am in Java, though..:0). Tour leader needs to alter his advice in Ubud: the monkey forest was entirely enjoyable, not the fearsome place he made it out to be... Also needs to advise on other highlights of Ubud, such as the Water Palace, which i discovered by myself.

This was our fourteenth trip with Explore, and once again our trip met all our expectations. Our Tour Leader Hadi was very friendly and very competent, and all arrangements went smoothly. Great variety of activities (batik-making, snorkeling, hiking, bike-riding, cooking opportunities) and wonderful sightseeing - ancient temples, beautiful scenery (terraced farmland, rice paddies, waterfalls) volcanoes (up close!) spice plantations, villages and people. Thoroughly recommend this tour.

Hadi was a fantastic tour leader! He was knowledgeable, informative and very very patient. He made the trip and was a great ambassador for Indonesia. The trip had a great variety of activities and 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites. I particularly loved the trip up Mt Bromo to see inside a volcano and again to see the sunrise - a very different experience than expected but a lot of fun. The only downside was the last hotel had a major reconstruction of its restaurant which could be heard round the pool (I had an email saying it was refurbished and reopened.) It meant people moved to another hotel and split up the group which was disappointing But it was a nice hotel.